Read the latest articles from Bob Vila (Page 367)

The formal dining room is an interior in flux. For decades it was a mainstay of the American home, but in recent years it has often found itself co-opted for a playroom or home office. Today, the dining room is making a comeback, appreciated again for the way it provides a spacious, welcoming environment that brings family and friends together. But successful entertaining requires more than just a dedicated space. In particular, the colors you choose for your dining room go a long way toward setting the tone for your gatherings. Here, design experts share 8 of their favorite hues and tips for using them in your own dining room.

Few chores are as perennial as cleaning the bathroom. The loo probably gets more use per square foot than any other space in the house. As a result, it has to be cleaned more frequently as well. You may think you know all there is to know about getting your bathroom spick-and-span. But there are a few unconventional ways to cleanse the commode and scrub the tub that you’ve probably never heard of, including these surprising favorites.

So, you’re not a neat freak? You can still keep your house from spinning into chaos if you just follow one simple rule: Make it easy to put items away, and you’ll do it more often. To keep your house tidy without breaking a sweat, try these 10 simple shortcuts.

It’s a new year, which means it's time to get started on your home resolutions for 2016. The best place to start? Out with the old! While it can be difficult to let go of prized possessions, the relief that comes along with decluttering can be well worth the brief pangs of sentiment. Start lightening your load with these 14 items that you can—and should—toss right now.

Learn how two popular paint products can each achieve such a wide range of style—from distressed color washes to bright opaques—and how to choose the right one for your next project.

While laws vary from state to state, generally speaking, sellers are responsible for disclosing only information within their personal knowledge that could affect the property value, such as structural defects, mold, and lead paint. Some issues, however, fall into a gray area that a home seller may try to conceal in order to get a top-dollar offer. To protect your investment, hire a certified home inspector before making an offer, and be on the lookout for the following signs that a seller has something to hide.

You can run, but you can’t hide from the dog days of summer. You can, however, camp out on your balcony to enjoy slightly deflected rays of sunlight while keeping all the cool comforts of home within arm's reach. Whether you have a traditional balcony that amply extends your living area, or a diminutive Juliet balcony, you can convert the bleakest outdoor space into a serene sanctuary. Just focus on adding a few of these 11 simple but striking garden features, architectural elements, textiles, or furnishings. With inspiration from our collection of favorite accents, your balcony can project an inviting style and ambience that you’ll want to bask in year-round.

Before you decide to go the "For Sale by Owner" route, it's a good idea to figure out what you're getting yourself into. You might find that the time commitment, marketing costs, and legal processes may be more than you bargained for. If you're getting ready to put your home on the market and think you may want to do the dirty work yourself, make sure you're prepared by perusing these 10 must-know considerations of being your own real estate agent.

Turn gungy grout like-new again using this easy and colorful approach!

Organizing the bath can be as easy as finding underutilized real estate and repurposing it into crafty compartments for all of your bath goodies. Soak up these 18 sleek storage ideas, designed for spacious and space-challenged bathrooms alike!

We bet you didn't know that you have an incredibly versatile tool—cleverly disguised as a common hair-styling essential—hiding just under the bathroom sink. Learn how to move beyond the blowout with these little-known ways to use a hair dryer to simplify tasks in your home.

Add a touch of originality to your shelves with a DIY geometric bookend, molded easily from leftover cardboard and a little concrete mix.

Up your backyard's game with an outdoor classic: the DIY tire swing. Follow these easy instructions to create seasons' worth of family fun, all in less than an hour.

Learn the pros and cons of medium-density fiberboard, or MDF, and decide whether it's the right choice for your next carpentry project.

An affordable option for the average homeowner, installing window film enables you to dress up your windows with a new look or dramatically increase their level of energy efficiency.

The right houseplant brings beauty and calm into a space and improves your home's air quality, but that's only the start of it. There are plenty of other good reasons to keep some greenery in every room. Houseplants offer a whole host of benefits, from promoting productivity to flavoring your next meal. Read on to find the perfect houseplant for every room in your house.

The holidays are a time for visiting family and friends near and far, but it can also be a prime time for break-ins since it’s easy for burglars to recognize the all-too-familiar signs you’re out of town. Good news: A handful of easy tactics can keep your house safe by fooling any passers-by into believing you’re home. They range in cost from a little to a lot, but any expense is a small price to pay for peace of mind when you’re tens to hundreds to thousands of miles away.

Half baths may be smaller than their full-fledged counterparts, but that doesn't mean you need to sacrifice on storage or style. Learn how to make the most of every inch of space in your small bathroom with these smart and attainable tips.

Once upon a time, you had to live with that “old book smell.” Now, you can banish it to a faraway land with one pantry staple.

You know that disheveled shack in the corner of the yard? It might just be one of your home’s major assets. These backyard buildings prove that an underutilized backyard shed is a work or play space simply waiting to be discovered. Get ready to shed your preconceived notions—because outbuildings are in.